Red
by August08
Summary: Klunk reminisces about his time on Xarus and tells April a story he's kept close to his heart about another red-head he used to know. The prequel to the sequel of More Wars Than One. One-shot. Rated M for suggestive adult themes.


**A/N**: A sign for a story yet to come. For those of you who have been following More Wars Than One and who I have left hanging with a cliffhanger, I have a sequel in the works and will be posting in a day or so. This is an introductory story for a new character in the sequel.

Enjoy

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, only the OC

* * *

><p>Ears perked as they listened for sounds in the darkness. A breath came from his right; followed by the whistling of steel. He raised his weapon and deflected the shuriken. It fell to the floor with a ping. His ears twitched again, this time directing his attention to the left. Steel sang as it passed through the air. He raised the sword in his hand and caught the other blade in mid-air. Another breath, hot and moist against his face. The assailant was right in front of him. He swung his sword in an arch and swept his foot out in front of him, catching someone off guard. A body fell to the ground which was followed by the vibration of someone running across the padded floor.<p>

The hiss of air through clenched teeth met his sensitive ears as the second assailant reached him. Again, steel clashed against steel. His ears twitched as he picked up the sound of more running feet coming from behind him. He pushed back the second blade and dropped to the floor, feeling a wooden staff pass over his head. He reached up and grabbed the staff, jumping to his feet in the process and pulling the staff over his shoulder while kicking out behind him. His foot connected with a plastron, earning him a satisfying grunt of pain and another body hit the floor.

_Two down, two to go._

He turned his head, straining his ears. Two sets of footsteps; circling him. He smirked. They would try to take him down, and they would fail. They always failed. He thrived in the darkness. It was his element, more than theirs. His senses were sharper, reflexes quicker. He was undefeated; in this world and the next. Wood and steel hummed as they came closer.

_Three...two...one..._

He dodged to the side, reaching out with one hand and grabbing the handle of the nunchuck. He pulled the owner of the weapon to the side, slamming the body against the other that was approaching. Two grunts; a thud.

_Three down._

There was the creak of a chain and he barely had enough time to dodge before the second nunchuck came down. He grabbed a hold of the second weapon and hurled himself between the legs of the fourth assailant. There was a startled yelp and then a thud.

_And finish._

The lights shot on, revealing four turtles strewn across the dojo floor and a smug feline standing in the middle of them. Splinter stood at the light switch, looking at his fallen sons.

"Well done, Klunk," Splinter praised.

Klunk turned to face the ninja master and bowed. "Thank you, sensei," he said.

Raphael grunted as he pushed himself up off the floor. "Lousy cat," he grumbled.

Klunk straightened and looked over his shoulder, grinning. "You almost had me, Raph."

"Until you hit him with me," Michelangelo spoke up from his place on the floor.

The turtles got to their feet and turned to face Splinter. Klunk noticed the silent fuming expressions on Leonardo and Raphael's faces and he felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he should have held back, but then that wouldn't have been right. Splinter had told them to fight with everything they had, and Klunk had done just that. That's what sparring was for, right? To figure out strengths and weaknesses in individuals and in the team.

Klunk reached up and played with the silver chain around his neck. His mind drifted back to Xarus and he found himself thinking about how much things had changed; even in the short week since he and the turtles had returned from the warring planet. Splinter had welcomed Klunk with open arms as a son, and the turtles had taken him in as a brother. He was no longer the family pet, but a brother and son. An equal.

Klunk's ears twitched when he heard the sound of the elevator door opening and closing. Whatever Splinter was saying was halted when someone walked into the dojo. Klunk took in a deep, startled breath. A young woman with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes stepped over the threshold of the dojo and smiled warmly at the family.

"Hi ya, April," Donatello greeted.

"Hey, Donnie," April replied. "I just came by to drop some food and supplies off." Her eyes met Klunk's and she gave him a studying look. "Klunk?" she asked.

Michelangelo hit Klunk with his elbow. "Dude, you're staring," he whispered.

Klunk blinked and cleared his throat. "Yeah. Yeah, it's uh...it's been a while," he answered.

April walked over to him and looked at him with awe and disbelief. "It's amazing," she said. "The last time I saw you I could hold you in my hand."

Klunk's heart began to hammer against his ribs as the image of another young woman with long, flowing red hair and dark green eyes played through his mind.

_"You're bit of a scaredy cat, aren't you?"_

"Klunk?" Donatello asked. "Hey, man, you okay?"

Klunk blinked and glanced around to see the others looking at him with worried expressions. He ducked his head and headed for the door as he felt heat rise up behind his eyes.

"Excuse me," he said as he disappeared out of the dojo.

"What's up with him?" Raphael asked.

"Don't know," Leonardo replied.

April turned and made her way for the door. "I'll go talk to him," she said. "He might find it easier talking to a female than another male."

The brothers and Splinter remained in the dojo while April went searching the lair for Klunk. She eventually found him in his and Michelangelo's room, sitting on his bed looking at a picture. April slowly walked over to the bed and looked down.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked.

Klunk shook his head. April sat down on the bed next to him and looked at the picture in the cat's hands. The picture depicted Klunk and a beautiful young woman with crimson red hair and dark green eyes sitting at a bar table holding their drinks up to the camera in a toast. April couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy at how much the woman in the picture looked like her.

"Sorry I freaked out earlier," Klunk apologized. "But, I thought you were someone else."

April nodded at the picture. "Who is she?" she asked.

Klunk debated whether or not to trust April with something so close to his heart. He hadn't even told Michelangelo that he had kept the picture. Finally, Klunk sighed and began to speak.

"Her name's Zaveen," he said.

"Were you close?" April asked.

Klunk nodded. "Yeah," he replied with a small smile. "You could say that." His smile faded. "But it doesn't matter. It's over, now."

"Nothing's ever truly over," April told him. "What happened?"

"It was a long time ago. And a really long story," Klunk said.

April shifted on the bed and got more comfortable. "I've got all night," she told him.

* * *

><p>Xarus, one year earlier...<p>

The large pub room seemed to move and vibrate, like the dancers on the dance floor. They swayed to the pounding music that blasted through the pulsating loud speakers located around the room. Some cheered with excitement, verbally expressing how much fun they were having; while others found more, quieter ways to have fun. Throughout the pub, drinking contests had broken out, catching the attention of other patrons and the bartenders. The bartenders kept pouring drinks, knowing the more drinks they poured the more they got paid and the higher the tips would be.

However, not everyone was into the festivities. Orion cringed every time someone yelled out or cheered, his sensitive ears twitching with displeasure. When he had first stepped foot into the pub it was calm and quiet and peaceful. All he wanted was to find a nice place to enjoy a couple of drinks and forget about his troubles. He had just received word from the High Council that he had been accepted into the army, even though he never signed up for it, and that his placement into a team would take place in a month or two.

Orion took a sip of the dark blue liquor in his drinking glass, trying to ignore the stench of hormones that were beginning to waft from the bodies of those around him. When that happened, Orion knew that one of two things would soon be taking place: One was the possibility of a bar fight. The second was a serious make-out session between some of the patrons. He could make a pretty good guess as to which possibility it was. He looked over his shoulder and saw a man and woman swapping saliva a few feet away. Orion turned back to his drink, his stomach churning. If he was going to assault someone's mouth it was going to be in the privacy of a home, not in a public setting.

Orion's attention was brought to his left when someone squeezed in between him and the person on the other bar stool. He glanced over and his heart skipped a beat. The young woman had flowing, long crimson red hair and dark green eyes. She wore a black sleeveless tank top and red short skirt that barely reached her knees. Orion looked away, his face burning and heart hammering against his ribs.

"Can I get a Blood Mead, please?" the woman asked the man behind the bar.

"Comin' right up," the man told her.

The woman looked around and her eyes fell on Orion. "I haven't seen you around here before. You new?" she asked.

Orion looked up at her. "Me?" he asked.

The woman glanced around the bar. "I don't see any other humanoid orange and white tabbies in here," she said. "So, yes. You."

Orion looked back down at his drink, his face burning even more. Out of the corner of his eye, Orion could see the woman grin.

"You're bit of a scaredy cat, aren't you?" she teased.

"Never really talked to a woman before," Orion confessed. "I grew up in a family with all boys and a single father who didn't believe in allowing his sons to associate themselves with the opposite gender."

The woman gave him a sympathetic look. "You poor soul," she said. She held out her hand. "Well, allow me the pleasure of being the first woman you've talked to. I'm Zaveen."

Orion took her hand and shook it. "Orion."

"The Hunter," Zaveen said in a mysterious tone. "Very cool name."

Orion smiled and looked away, embarrassed. "Thanks," he said.

The bartender walked up and placed a tall glass of crimson red liquor in front of Zaveen. She thanked the man and took a long drink. Orion gave her a questioning look. Zaveen put the glass down and looked over at Orion.

"What?" she asked.

Orion shook his head. "Nothing," he replied, tipping his glass up to his lips.

"You think a pretty girl like me can't drink?" Zaveen asked.

"I didn't say that," Orion pointed out.

"Didn't have to. It was on your face," Zaveen said.

"Sheltered life, remember?" Orion reminded her.

Zaveen grinned, giving Orion an uneasy feeling. "Well, Mr. Hunter, welcome to the first night of the rest of your life," she said. "When I'm done with you, you'll be wishing you were still sheltered."

Pushing back the queasy, uneasy feeling in his stomach, Orion returned the grin with one of his own. "We'll see," he replied.

* * *

><p>Xarus, two months later...<p>

It was the touch of a soft hand that woke him up from slumber. He moaned and shifted in bed, twisting the sheets around his body. He vaguely registered that he was lacking clothes and fleetingly wondered why.

"Orion," cooed a gentle, serene female voice.

Orion slowly opened his eyes to see the most perfect green eyes he had ever seen. They belonged to an equally perfect face with flowing red hair.

"Good morning, handsome. Did you sleep well?"

Orion smiled as the events of the night before played through his mind. It had been a night of heated passion; which accounted for his lack of clothing.

"Morning, Zaveen," Orion said sleepily. "I slept fine."

Zaveen smiled. "That's good. I was afraid I was going to keep you up all night."

Orion leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "I wouldn't have cared if you did."

"The council would, though. Or have you forgotten?" Zaveen asked. At Orion's confused look she added, "Your placement into a team? That's today."

Orion's eyes widened and he shot up in bed, pulling the sheets up with him and exposing Zaveen's nude body, but she didn't seem to care. She just laid there, smiling as Orion fought to untangle himself from the bedsheets. Once he was free, Orion jumped out of bed and proceeded to pull on his clothes that were strewn across the floor. When he was dressed, Orion went over to the bed, leaned over and gave Zaveen a quick kiss on the lips before heading for the door.

"Good luck," Zaveen called after him.

* * *

><p>Orion walked into the apartment, kicked off his shoes and closed the door behind him. He headed for the bedroom. Everything hurt; from the tips of his ears to his toes. Even his tail ached. His team leader was a sadist, he had to be. There was no way a normal person would spend the entire day forcing his teammates to run obstacle courses eight hours straight with little to no break. But then again, when did the enemy ever take a break?<p>

Orion pulled off his soiled shirt and pants, throwing them in the hamper before collapsing on to the bed; the soft mattress doing wonders for his throbbing bones and muscles. He vaguely heard the front door open and then the sounds of footsteps coming across the hardwood floor into the bedroom. Velvet soft hands caressed his bare back, delicate fingers digging into the hard muscles and massaging them. Orion moaned in tired, aching pleasure.

"How was work?" Zaveen asked.

"Brutal," Orion replied, his words muffled by the sheets. "Michelangelo is a sadist. He enjoys causing other people pain too much."

Zaveen smiled. "He was just trying to toughen you up," she said. "Can't go running with your tail between your legs on the battlefield."

"Only dogs do that," Orion said sourly.

Zaveen leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I just remembered. I got you something."

Orion cracked an eye open and looked up at her. "What is it?" he asked.

Zaveen jumped off the bed and went over to the dresser. She pulled open the top drawer and shifted some clothing around until she found what she was looking for. Zaveen hurried back to the bed with a small box in her hand. Orion sat up as Zaveen sat down beside him, holding out the box.

"It's a congratulatory present for being placed today," Zaveen explained as Orion took the box from her.

Orion opened the box to reveal a dazzling silver chain. "Wow," he whispered in awe. "This is amazing."

Zaveen reached over and picked the chain up, undoing the latch. Orion turned his back to her and Zaveen put the chain around his neck, fastening the latch again. Orion turned around again and kissed Zaveen on the lips.

"Thank you," he said. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know. But you were so nervous about getting placed that I wanted to get you something to cheer you up," Zaveen explained.

Orion saw a strange look in Zaveen's eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Zaveen looked away, suddenly nervous. "I was placed today, too," she replied. "But not in the army."

Orion frowned slightly. "Where were you placed?" he wanted to know.

Zaveen took a deep breath and held it for a couple of seconds before letting it out. "The torture chamber," she answered solemnly.

* * *

><p>Xarus, six months later...<p>

Zaveen watched in despair as Orion went through the drawers and packed up his things. She had tried talking to him, but he wasn't listening to her. She had begged and pleaded with him not to leave, however, Orion's mind was set. There was no getting through this, not in one piece at least. Maybe this was for the best. Time hadn't been good to them. The army had hardened Orion's spirit; he was no longer the timid kitten she had met in the bar on that fateful night. And Zaveen knew that the torture chamber hadn't done wonders for her, either. She enjoyed causing other people pain too much and that had spilled out into her relationship with Orion.

They had tried to make it work, no one could say they didn't. Orion had tried to be patient and loving, but there was only so much mental and emotional pain he could take. He had become Zaveen's lab rat, the one she tested new techniques on. If she could break the unbreakable her career as an interrogator and a torturer was set. He could take the physical pain, he had been trained to endure it. But when Zaveen brought up his brothers and father the last straw had been drawn. Orion knew Zaveen would never actually throw his family in the torture chamber, but it opened his eyes to what she had become.

"There's nothing I can say to make you stay, is there?" Zaveen asked.

Orion put the last of his things in the duffel bag and zipped it up. "Not a thing," he answered stiffly.

He swung the strap of the duffel over his shoulder and he pushed past Zaveen as he headed for the front door. Zaveen followed close behind him. Orion took out his keys and placed them on the table by the door.

"So, this is good bye?" Zaveen asked.

Orion opened the door and looked at her, his golden eyes cold and hard. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll never see me again."

And with that, he walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind him; the slam sounding like a bomb explosion in the now all too empty apartment.

* * *

><p>Klunk wiped silent tears away from his eyes as he finished telling the story. April sat in solemn silence, watching Klunk work through his emotions. It was clear that he still cared deeply for Zaveen; he wouldn't be shedding tears for her if he didn't. April looked down at the picture in Klunk's hands again.<p>

"When was the picture taken?" April asked softly.

"The last time we went out before I broke things off," Klunk answered quietly. "We were trying to patch things up, but we never did. Too many bridges were burned."

April reached over and took Klunk's hand. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

"I still had Mikey," Klunk told her. "He helped me work things out." He looked down at the picture. "But I'll never look at a red-head the same way again. Too many memories with that color."

"Remember the good ones," April advised. "Not the bad."

Klunk glanced up at her and smiled softly. "Thanks, April," he said.

April patted his hand. "Anytime, Klunk."

She got up from the bed and walked out of the room. Klunk watched her leave before looking down at the picture one last time, a small smile touching his lips. Good or bad, red would always be his favorite color.

* * *

><p>Reviews are welcome, flames are not<p> 


End file.
